Laboratory diagnostics of invasive aspergillosis

Abstract

Invasive aspergillosis is a severe mycosis primarily affecting the bronchopulmonary system and is characterized by high mortality, especially among immunocompromised patients. Hematogenous dissemination of Aspergillus leads to damage to various organs and systems. Early diagnosis of aspergillosis is crucial for timely initiation of treatment and improvement of prognosis.

The aim of the study is to conduct a comparative analysis of laboratory methods for diagnosing invasive aspergillosis.

Material and methods. The search for articles was conducted in the PubMed, Elsevier, Scopus, Google Scholar, eLIBRARY databases for the period from 2003 to 2024. The keywords used for selecting articles included: aspergillosis, cultural methods, histological examination, PCR, mass spectrometry, sequencing, galactomannan, (1-3)-β-D-glucan.

Conclusion. The “gold standard” methods (cultural and histological examination) are complemented by culture-independent methods (PCR, mass spectrometry, sequencing, etc.), which allow for an expanded spectrum of identifiable pathogens and the detection of their drug resistance.

Keywords: aspergillosis; cultural methods; PCR; mass spectrometry; sequencing; galactomannan; (1-3)-β-D-glucan

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Contribution. Concept and design of the study, writing the text – Gribkova O.V., Ereshchenko A.A.; selection and analysis of literary sources – Gribkova O.V., Ereshchenko A.A., Yanchenko A.V.; approval of the final version of the manuscript – Gribkova O.V.; editing – Ereshchenko A.A., Yanchenko A.V.; manuscript design, formulation of conclusions – Yanchenko A.V.

For citation: Gribkova O.V., Ereshchenko A.A., Yanchenko A.V. Laboratory diagnostics of invasive aspergillosis. Infektsionnye bolezni: novosti, mneniya, obuchenie [Infectious Diseases: News, Opinions, Training]. 2025; 14 (1): 90–7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33029/2305-3496-2025-14-1-90-97 (in Russian)

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CHIEF EDITOR
Aleksandr V. Gorelov
Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, MD, Head of Infection Diseases and Epidemiology Department of the Scientific and Educational Institute of Clinical Medicine named after N.A. Semashko ofRussian University of Medicine, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Professor of the Department of Childhood Diseases, Clinical Institute of Children's Health named after N.F. Filatov, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Deputy Director for Research, Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Rospotrebnadzor (Moscow, Russian Federation)
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